Nevada County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Truckee, Grass Valley and Nevada City
Nevada County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Nevada County is home to Truckee, Grass Valley and Nevada City. Construction employs 3,507, up 18.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Placer County has 1 data center and 1,023 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 34,626 jobs in 2025, up 7.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Nevada County
Nevada County is home to Truckee, Grass Valley and Nevada City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alta Sierra, Floriston, Graniteville, Kingvale, Lake Wildwood, Lake of the Pines, North San Juan, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Soda Springs, Washington.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Nevada County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 102,280 | 101,911 | ▼ 0.4% | 36th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32,282 | 34,626 | ▲ 7.3% | 13th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,798 | $65,782 | ▲ 40.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,958 | 3,507 | ▲ 18.6% | 11th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 379 | 383 | ▲ 1.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 110 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Electrical contractors employ 383, up 1.1% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $73,157 a year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Nevada County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 101,911 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Nevada County
Utilities with service territory in Nevada County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,047,461 | 39.62¢ | 30% |
| Liberty Utilities | Investor Owned | Bundled | 43,902 | 25.92¢ | 49% |
| Truckee Donner P U D | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 110 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Park | Nevada Irrigation District | Hydro | 44 MW | 1965 |
| Dutch Flat 2 | Nevada Irrigation District | Hydro | 27 MW | 1965 |
| Narrows PH | Yuba County Water Agency - (CA) | Hydro | 10 MW | 1942 |
| Spaulding 1 | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 7 MW | 1928 |
| Spaulding 3 | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 7 MW | 1929 |
| Deer Creek PH | Nevada Irrigation District | Hydro | 6 MW | 1908 |
The Nevada County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 34,626 | $65,782 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,507 | $79,402 | 1.91 |
| Electrical contractors | 383 | $73,157 | 1.53 |
| Power and communication line construction | 147 | $218,729 | 2.63 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Nevada County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Nevada County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Nevada County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Nevada County, Placer County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada County | 101,911 | ▲ 7.3% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Placer County | 442,081 | ▲ 9.1% | 773 MW | 1,023 MW | 1 | — |
| Sierra County | 3,098 | ▲ 12.7% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Washoe County NV | 509,386 | ▲ 7.4% | 668 MW | — | 17 | — |
| Yuba County | 88,691 | ▲ 13.0% | 367 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of California
Nevada County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nevada County, California?
3 utilities have service territory in Nevada County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Liberty Utilities, Truckee Donner P U D. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Truckee, CA in?
Truckee is in Nevada County, California. About 17,278 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Grass Valley, CA in?
Grass Valley is in Nevada County, California. About 14,035 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Nevada County?
10 operating plants with 110 MW of capacity. The largest is Chicago Park (44 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Nevada County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nevada County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Placer County.
Is Nevada County adding jobs?
Employers counted 34,626 jobs in 2025 against 32,282 in 2019 (+7.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,958 to 3,507.
Does Nevada County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nevada County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.